“In accordance with its Constitutional requirements the ALIA Board called for nominations for three upcoming Director vacancies and one Vice-President (President elect vacancy). Sufficient nominations were received to fill the vacancies but insufficient for an election to be held.”

The new ALIA Board members for 2012 are:

Vice President (President-elect) – Julie Rae – Director, Information and Research for the Australian Drug Foundation and formerly with VISION Australia, Central Highlands Regional Library Corporation, Bayside Libraries and GEAC.

We at Libraries Interact congratulate the new Board members on their appointment and look forward to the work they will do for our national organisation.

]]>http://librariesinteract.info/2012/01/13/alia-board-2012/feed/0ALIA – Change at the tophttp://librariesinteract.info/2011/10/28/alia-change-at-the-top/
http://librariesinteract.info/2011/10/28/alia-change-at-the-top/#commentsFri, 28 Oct 2011 07:50:30 +0000Michellehttp://librariesinteract.info/?p=2014ALIA has announced that Sue Hutley has resigned as Executive Director of ALIA, to take up the role of Director: Collections and Access at the Queensland State Archives.

All of us here at Libraries Interact send our sincere thanks to Sue, for her dedication and hard work for our professional association and for all of us, over the six years she has been in the role.

We also wish her our very best for her new role, which she begins in January.

]]>http://librariesinteract.info/2011/10/28/alia-change-at-the-top/feed/0Internet Librarian 2011http://librariesinteract.info/2011/10/19/internet-librarian-2011/
http://librariesinteract.info/2011/10/19/internet-librarian-2011/#commentsWed, 19 Oct 2011 05:31:19 +0000Michellehttp://librariesinteract.info/?p=1996Internet Librarian 2011, with the theme “Revolutionizing the Net with Content, Connections & Conversations”, is heading into its last day at Monterey, California – but its not too late to watch the Live Stream (if you’re a night owl), or follow the live action from the participants views on Twitter. (follow the hash tag #IL2011 or #InternetLibrarian)

And once you have been suitably inspired, ALIA Biennial is seeking abstracts for the conference in Sydney in 2012.

]]>http://librariesinteract.info/2011/10/19/internet-librarian-2011/feed/1Auslan for National Simultaneous Storytimehttp://librariesinteract.info/2011/05/25/auslan-for-national-simultaneous-storytime/
http://librariesinteract.info/2011/05/25/auslan-for-national-simultaneous-storytime/#commentsTue, 24 May 2011 22:22:21 +0000Peta Hopkinshttp://librariesinteract.info/2011/05/25/auslan-for-national-simultaneous-storytime/This is great. The Auslan version of Feathers for Phoebe by Rod Clement – made available by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) for National Simultaneous Storytime 2011 (NSS).

It’s been two days since I returned from Information Online and I woke up from a dream about writing a blog post so here it is. My takeaways from the conference are:

Break the rules @thelib – Sarah Houghton encouraged conference participants to be prepared to break some rules in order to deliver the services that clients want. She used the example of implementing social media. They didn’t get permission. They just went ahead. Her terrific presentation is available on her blog.

Heat maps of eye-tracking and clicks look very impressive. I was encouraged by the number of libraries testing usability of their websites and services. There were a number of papers that had some impressive heat maps. They certainly add a wow factor to presentations.

Seb Chan told us about some of the incredibly impressive work of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and how they are getting people to visit their collections online. These include WordPress plugins, Flickr Commons and the amazing mobile story game – China Heart.

I was also thrilled to participate in the Conference Mentoring Program being piloted at Online by Naomi Doessel the winner of an ALIA study grant. I offered to be a mentor and it was a rewarding experience. I met two amazing young librarians.

I have attended quite a few conferences in the last two years and I am beginning to wonder if the current format is sustainable. I for one would like more opportunity to engage, interact and discuss the content/ideas. Maybe we need to consider an unconference stream running along side more traditional streams (as was trailed at ALIAAccess in 2010).

I also presented a paper at Online and I have decided that from now on I will co-present and I am already discussing an abstract for VALA2012 with a colleague.

I would be really interested in hearing about your takeaways, the benefits and whether you think the traditional conference format is sustainable.

Please leave a comment.

]]>http://librariesinteract.info/2011/02/06/alia-information-online-2011-aliaioc/feed/5A tweetup or three… #ALIAiochttp://librariesinteract.info/2011/01/21/a-tweetup-or-three-aliaioc/
http://librariesinteract.info/2011/01/21/a-tweetup-or-three-aliaioc/#commentsFri, 21 Jan 2011 03:25:12 +0000snailhttp://librariesinteract.info/?p=1698The Information Online road train is gathering steam as we type – only a week and a half away. In addition to the official programme, there’s some additional social events: an ALIA Sydney gathering and two #ALIAioc tweetups. Here are the details for each:

If anyone is aware of other events please let me know and I can add them to the list.

]]>http://librariesinteract.info/2011/01/21/a-tweetup-or-three-aliaioc/feed/0Ten top links to inspire a Green Library initiativehttp://librariesinteract.info/2010/10/08/ten-top-links-to-inspire-a-green-library-initiative/
http://librariesinteract.info/2010/10/08/ten-top-links-to-inspire-a-green-library-initiative/#commentsFri, 08 Oct 2010 05:09:38 +0000Peta Hopkinshttp://librariesinteract.info/2010/10/08/ten-top-links-to-inspire-a-green-library-initiative/n two days it will be 10/10/10 (10th of October 2010). ALIA is promoting a library top ten lists campaign and has invited anyone to create a list of top 10s. In this set of webslides I’m not sure these are THE top 10, but they are 10 top links to inspire a green library initiative. Find out about special interest groups and libraries that have already headed down the green path.

]]>http://librariesinteract.info/2010/10/08/ten-top-links-to-inspire-a-green-library-initiative/feed/0Does Information Literacy matter in public libraries? (Louise Pieper)http://librariesinteract.info/2010/09/02/does-information-literacy-matter-in-public-libraries-louise-pieper/
http://librariesinteract.info/2010/09/02/does-information-literacy-matter-in-public-libraries-louise-pieper/#commentsThu, 02 Sep 2010 01:29:50 +0000haikugirlozhttp://librariesinteract.info/?p=1616Louise Pieper from Gold Coast Public Libraries talks about why abook club blog can build community and reduce social isolation. Public library users often resistant to more formal instruction in information literacy. Customers don’t want to lose face or to be seen as ignorant or illiterate. They don’t want to be at school.

Louse suggests that libraries: Be covert. be viral. Let information literacy seep through. Don’t call it information literacy, as it can be off putting. Look at ways of using web 2.0 to build information literacy skills covertly.

Their blog: Book coasters is a way of fostering lifelong learning skills virally. The online book club can:

promote reading and informal learning

allow people to develop new transliteracy skills

builds community

]]>http://librariesinteract.info/2010/09/02/does-information-literacy-matter-in-public-libraries-louise-pieper/feed/0Viral marketing, YouTube and Library Lovehttp://librariesinteract.info/2010/07/17/viral-marketing-youtube-and-library-love/
http://librariesinteract.info/2010/07/17/viral-marketing-youtube-and-library-love/#commentsSat, 17 Jul 2010 02:54:47 +0000naomidoesselhttp://librariesinteract.info/?p=1554OK so the Twitterverse has been a aflutter at the awesome campaign by @oldspice that has taken the internet by storm over the last few days.

If you were hiding under a rock, for some background reading – and watching – check out here, here, and here. And if you open up the Old Spice Channel on YouTube you may never leave!

While there’s a LOT of fun to be had by checking out the abs – *ahem* I mean brilliant marketing strategy – of the Old Spice Guy, there’s also some real opportunities.

@wawoodworth managed to get so many retweets of their original post that @oldspice gave libraries this shoutout:

I am pretty! How did he know?

And while, sadly, the Old Spice Guy phenomenon of over 200 video message replies to tweets is now over, (excuse me while I cry all over my iPhone), there are already examples of libraries jumping on the boat cart – and how!

So – how do we take advantage of this?

And how do we make sure that when we do, it’s not embarassing and does more damage to our brand than good?

I’m currently Chair of ALIA’s New Generation Advisory Committee (NGAC) and I have some ideas but am interested to hear your thoughts too. And while yes – we are a group to advise the board on issues relation to new generation/graduate involvement in the profession and the organisation -we are also a committee that welcomes ideas from experienced members of the profession. So if you don’t identify as “new” anymore, but you have ideas on this topic, please don’t hold back!

NGAC is in planning stages for the next year or years of new generation involvement in our profession, so I ask you, interactive librarians: Where to, from here?

Personlly, I’d like to be on that cart.

@naomidoessel
Chair, ALIA New Generation Advisory Committee

]]>http://librariesinteract.info/2010/07/17/viral-marketing-youtube-and-library-love/feed/6#ALIAAccess #TweetUp and other social events!http://librariesinteract.info/2010/07/16/aliaaccess-tweetup-and-other-social-events/
http://librariesinteract.info/2010/07/16/aliaaccess-tweetup-and-other-social-events/#commentsFri, 16 Jul 2010 04:09:41 +0000naomidoesselhttp://librariesinteract.info/?p=1539Over on the Twittersphere we are discussing have a meeting of twitter library folk just prior to #ALIAAccess / @ALIAAccess.

@flexnib rightly tweets:

#aliaaccess will be one big tweet up

However as the conference dinner is Dine-Around, the conference is multi-streamed and we come from all walks of LibraryLand, we may not all get a chance to meet at the social events organised, so I’m organising a #tweetup.

#ALIAAccess #TweetUp

The Brisbane Twitter User Brigade #BTUB meets monthly at Greystone Bar which is conveniently located at South Bank very close to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

RSVP: Tweet @naomidoessel to let me know if you’re coming so I can book us an area.

New Grads at the Pub

Additionally after the Welcome Reception 5-6pm on Wednesday 1 September, due to popular demand New Grads at the Pub is back!

Yes, the event made so popular as NLS4 in Melbourne is being revived, with a special after-drinks dinner & drinks (self-funded) at Brisbane’s historic Plough Inn, also at South Bank and only a short walk from the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Not a new grad? No worries! While this event is targeted at those attending the What Next! New Graduates Stream at ALIA Access and is a chance for those in the profession less than ten years to get together and have a relaxed dinner, if you’re laid back and friendly and want to chat to the up-and-comers in LibraryLand then come along!